Drug police searched a Madras property Friday morning, seizing 60 pounds of unprocessed marijuana and 807 plants tied to an international drug organization operating around Central Oregon, according to police.
The alleged illicit grow site at 637 NE 10th St. also contained evidence the outfit allegedly stole tens of thousands of gallons of water, according to Sgt. Kent Vander Kamp of the multiagency Central Oregon Drug Enforcement team.
The search began around 7:30 a.m. The home was unoccupied and no arrests were made, though evidence collected will aid in ongoing investigations, according to Vander Kamp.
“We are probably going to announce some more arrests next week,” he told The Bulletin.
The 10th Street property consists of a home and large detached storage shed. The home, a rental, was largely vacant. The outbuilding contained three grow rooms with plants in different stages of maturity, Vander Kamp said.
Detectives also found hazardous conditions like black mold and improvised copper electrical wiring that bypassed circuit breakers. The alleged illegal marijuana farm also used pesticides and insecticides, which can threaten residential water supplies. The grow site had a handmade water system that pulled from neighboring wells.
It’s possible the people responsible could be charged for the water theft.
Read full article at. https://www.bendbulletin.com/localstate/crimeandjustice/illegal-marijuana-grow-in-madras-linked-to-chinese-cartel-case/article_725bd448-1a89-11ed-bd19-47cb2b12754e.html
